The present invention relates to a unique air turbine engine system for a moving vehicle, such as an automobile, truck, airplane and the like. As will become clearer hereafter, there are two basic types of the engine according to the invention. The first category uses turbines to convert the energy produced by the compressors into mechanical energy in a similar manner to wind turbines, turbo prop and turbo shaft engines. The second type of engine will produce a high velocity stream of air in a similar manner to turbo jet or turbo fan engines.
Concerns over the environment, specifically pollution of the atmosphere, record costs of conventional fuels, and inadequate refining capacity for gasoline, have renewed interest in alternate propulsion system from moving vehicles. However, such interest has existed for a number of years, but have not yielded significant commercial systems to meet these concerns.
The prior art offers a number of turbine systems that may be used to power vehicles. Exemplary systems are noted in the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,641 to Skur, III, teaches a hybrid turbine coolant system where air is extracted from a pressurized air source. An air-to-air heat exchanger receives and cools the extracted pressurized air. Further, an expansion turbine receives at least a portion of the cooled pressurized air from the air-to-air heat exchanger and expands the cooled pressurized air into chilled air while extracting work. An air-to-coolant heat exchanger receives the chilled air from the expansion turbine which is used to chill refrigerant coolant. The air-to-air heat exchanger also receives the chilled air reclaimed form the air-to-coolant heat exchanger, subsequent to chilling the refrigerant coolant, to cool the air extracted from the pressurized air source.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,170, to Bynum et al. relates to an atmospheric/aqua turbine is an apparatus for producing energy by allowing air or water to be metered by controls through an adjustable air or water scoop into twin turbines to produce electricity when the atmospheric/aqua turbine is installed on vehicle or a boat. The turbine is effective for a vehicle traveling at 30 mph or more, and in the case of a boat traveling at 8 to 10 mph or more.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,160 to Boodman et al. is directed to a system to provide additional electrical power in an electrically powered vehicle. An air scoop is mounted on the vehicle. The air scoop opens in a generally forward direction. A turbine wheel is mounted in the rear of the air scoop. An electric generator is connected to the turbine wheel, whereby air passing through the air scoop will generate additional electricity for the vehicle batteries. The air scoop is rotatable and means are provided to lock it in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,883 to Horwinski, discloses a unit for supplying power with the least possible local pollution to the environment, where the unit comprises both a prime mover with the fuel supply and also significantly large storage means for electric energy. The unit involves basically a dynamo-electric machine with a commutator-type armature and salient-field type rotator surrounding and rotatably carrying the armature. The rotator is turnable and has sets of slip rings at its ends, for effecting electric connections to the salient fields and also to brush holders which carry brushes bearing on the commutator. One opposite set of field pole windings is series connected and utilized as a series motor field winding, being connected with one set of brushes whereby the machine can operate as a series motor. Another set of field pole windings is adapted to function as a shunt generator field, the generator function involving a second set of brushes. All the said brushes bear on the same commutator. The armature shaft is coupled to drive a load which could for example be vehicle wheels or else a load of a stationary installation; and the rotary field structure or rotator is coupled to be driven by the prime mover which could be a gasoline engine, steam engine etc. Storage batteries are connected to drive the dynamo-electric machine as series motor, such as for propelling a vehicle, and can be recharged by the shunt generator portion of the dynamo-electric machine when the armature of the latter is being driven by the prime mover or gasoline engine. Suitable automatic electronic controls can be provided to determine the various modes of functioning of the prime mover and dynamo-electric machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,239 to Spahn, covers a battery powered automobile includes an air operated turbine fed by front and side air scoops for providing both charging current to the batteries and driving power for the automobile. An auxiliary internal combustion engine is included for use when necessary. Deceleration and wind sensitive controls operate door structure on the front air scoop so that it opens, increasing drag, only under predetermined conditions. Braking energy is utilized to help charge the batteries.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,946 to Waterbury, relates to an electric motor driven vehicle having at least one electric motor to supply power to said vehicle. The driving system further includes a mechanism associated with each electric motor to supply electric power thereto comprising batteries arranged in series, and either a solar cell supplying energy to the batteries, a power-generating means with paddle wheel and venturi tube or both adapted to supply power to the batteries. The above combination may be used either alone or in conjunction with a conventional internal combustion engine.
These prior art systems, though offering supplemental propulsion mechanisms for moving vehicles, they fail to offer the efficiency needed to effect an alternative and supplemental mechanism for new vehicles and for retrofitting to existing vehicles in the manner of the present invention. The manner by which the present invention achieves the goals hereof will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.